Keep liquor sales in public hands, says SGEU

Regina (18 June 2014) — There’s a new Minister in charge of the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) and the members of the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees' Union (SGEU/NUPGE) want to let him know they want to keep liquor sales in the hands of the public.

SGEU/NUPGE continues campaign to support public administration and sale of liquor

SGEU/NUPGE is encouraging its members, and members of the broader public to send messages to Minister Don McMorris urging him to stop the privatization of liquor stores throughout the province. The Saskatchewan government is closing government-operated liquor stores in four small towns already but it is now threatening to privatize them all.

Despite study after study showing the increased risks associated with the privatization of alcohol sales, such as Public versus Private Liquor: The Tradeoffs by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, the Saskatchewan government continues to move down the path towards full out privatization. In 2012, the Saskatchewan government announced it would no longer build any more liquor stores. Since then, the government has allowed and encouraged Sobeys and Co-op stores to build their own private stores in Saskatoon.

Saskatchewan government ignoring question of where will lost revenue come from

Revenue from public liquor stores helps fund services we all care about, like hospitals, schools, long-term care beds, and highways. Public liquor stores earned $232 million for Saskatchewan people last year.

"We need to speak up before SLGA stores are sold and an important source of public revenue disappears forever," says SGEU/NUPGE.

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE